An integral part of every autumn is the pumpkin, appearing in more and more kitchens, as Halloween spreads worldwide. There is no shortage of fans of pumpkin-based products such as orange-coloured cakes, soups or pasta sauce. The demand for the vegetable increases each year and, consequently, the number of unreasonable people wanting to get rid of pumpkin innards by throwing them into the woods unfortunately also increases. Many of them are convinced that they are doing something good for the environment, but they are wrong. Why shouldn't pumpkin guts be thrown out there?

Robert Maślak is a politician active in the New Left. The man is known for his fight for animal and nature rights. The parliamentary candidate even included an image of a bear on his election posters to show his support for nature. Recently the politician raised a very important and topical issue by publishing a post on the X (formerly Twitter) regarding the dumping of pumpkin leftovers in the forests.

The New Left activist calls on people to dispose of pumpkin innards only in composters or bins intended for bio-waste. Maślak mentions a harmful social media post (calling for feeding wildlife with pumpkin guts) that circulates every autumn. "Forest is not a waste dump! Nor is it a composter. The latter is a place where pumpkin leftovers should end up," the environmental activist reminds.

Robert Maślak and "environmental organisations stigmatise hunters for throwing leftovers into the forest, meanwhile similar ideas are hatched in the heads of people declaring respect for animals." The politician draws attention to the dangers caused by such actions.

Forest animals in Poland are not adapted to feeding on pumpkins. Every year, huge numbers of wild animals die due to the reckless behaviour of humans. In addition, there is a hefty fine for dumping leftover vegetables in the forest. Animals fed on human food become accustomed to the new diet. Later, they venture into farmland in search of similar treats. Such situations often result in road collisions or other interspecies conflicts.

Unwanted pumpkins that end up in the forest after Halloween often have wax residues in them, which is also very harmful to animals. Furthermore, the problem arises with vegetables of foreign origin.

"Pumpkin innards have a harmful effect on the soil, plants and mushrooms in the forests, as the vegetable doesn’t grow there naturally," Maślak writes. He also stresses that nothing can be left in the forest that has not been there before, mentioning banana or orange peels as well.

Finally, the politician reveals that the internet is filled with "reliable" websites according to which it is environmentally friendly to throw leftover pumpkins into the forest. However, people should know better and avoid reading and spreading fake news regarding the issue.

Source: X: Robert Maślak